Getting Around

The only way to navigate the medina is on foot. The lanes get crowded, so pay attention to valuables.

Petits taxis are perfect for short trips. Flagging one on the street is better than negotiating at a hotel queue, where drivers prefer to charge a set fee.

Grands taxis (usually Mercedes-Benzes) are better for longer journeys—out to the Palmeraie, say—and best booked in advance by your hotel. For half-day or day tours, Akaman employs multilingual drivers with a fleet of new vehicles, from Minis to Range Rovers.

Getting There: Royal Air Maroc flies direct from New York and Los Angeles to Casablanca. From there, catch a 40-minute flight to Marrakesh Menara Airport.

See + Do

Four spots not to miss, from a 1930’s garden to an over-the-top spa.

Jardin Majorelle: Designed in the early 20th century by the Orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle and acquired in 1980 by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent, the 12-acre botanical gardens have colorful local flora, along with a small café, bookshop, and the Musée Berbère, with Berber art from Saint Laurent’s own collection. Rue Yves Saint Laurent.

Maison de la Photographie: This riad museum hosts rotating exhibitions of more than 6,000 original photographs, most of them quotidian scenes taken between 1870 and the 1950’s. The building, one of the medina’s tallest, houses a tea salon on its roof; stop for a steaming cup and take in the view of the city rooftops. 46 Rue Souk Ahal Fes.

Medersa Ben Youssef: One of the largest Koranic schools in Morocco, the 15th-century Ben Youssef (attached to the mosque of the same name) is a stunning confluence of carved cedar, zellij tile work, and ornate stucco. Book a private tour, which includes visits to the minuscule dormitory spaces where some of the 900-odd students lived. Place Ben Youssef.

Spa at The Royal Mansour Marrakech: Proprietor King Mohammed VI’s hotel is a showcase of Moroccan artisanship, and the 27,000-square-foot, white-filigree-and-glass spa is virtually a city in itself. The treatment suites have terraces and pools, and the beauty salon is a gleaming temple of white marble. Opt for a traditional hammam using the sumptuous Marocmaroc skin-care line. Rue Abou Abbas al Sebti; treatments from $115.

A Palace for Every Palate

Palace restaurants are all about candlelit courtyards, Berber musicians, and heaping platters of food. Each has its loyalists: Dar Marjana (15 Derb Sidi Tair;$$$) and Dar Yacout($$$) are in the top echelon, as is the newer and less pricey Le Tobsil($$). Chef Moha Fedal updates the experience with lighter fare in Pierre Balmain’s former riad at Dar Moha(81 Rue Dar el-Bacha; $$$).

Restaurant Pricing Key$Less than $25$$$25 to $75$$$$75 to $150$$$$More than $150

Stay

The five-star arrivals, the perennials, and our picks of the chicest (and best-value) riads.

Four Seasons Resort: Those who claim it lacks authenticity miss the point: this clean-lined resort offers discrete adults’ and kids’ pools; a boutique curated by top local stylist Laetitia Trouillet, who stages pop-up “souks” at the hotel; and flawless service. Hivernage.$$$$

Riad Joya: A stone’s throw from the city’s main square, Djemaa el-Fna, Joya’s seven-room house is all about sleek neutrals (not a gold-leather pouf in sight) and a warm, supremely capable staff. Mouassine.$$

Riad Vanessa: This intimate, simply stylish gem has four en suite bedrooms and a courtyard strewn with deep sofas and kilims. There’s also a sitting room with a fireplace. Medina.$

Taj Palace: From the mammoth scale to the extravagant interiors, the Taj seems destined to divide opinion. Rooms have rosy tadelakt walls hung with beveled Indian mirrors and balconies overlooking what is surely Africa’s biggest pool. Palmeraie.$$$

Hotel Pricing Key$Less than $200$$$200 to $350$$$$350 to $500$$$$$500 to $1,000$$$$$More than $1,000

Local Take

Three Marrakesh insiders open their style files.

Maryam Montague

Human rights advocate, blogger, owner of Peacock Pavilions hotel

My work takes me all over the Middle East and Africa, but Marrakesh is my home. I bring visitors to Fadila El Gadi(by appointment only), which makes one-of-a-kind women’s and men’s clothing. Beldi Country Club is great for a casual poolside lunch. Pepe Nero opened last year in an old riad in the medina—the chef, Khalid Robazza Essafa, trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy.

Fabrizio Bizzarri

Owner, Ministero del Gusto gallery

My partner, Alessandra Lippini, and I opened our gallery in Mouassine in 1998; we restore vintage furniture and host art installations. Back then, the expat community was small. Galerie 127, in Guéliz, is owned by a Frenchwoman; she represents international and Moroccan photographers. Another one to watch is Topolina(134 Dar El Bacha; 212-6/5134-5795). Designer Isabelle Lallemang buys djellabas and rugs and “upcycles” them with silk, lace, or tassels to make wraps, shoes, and bags.

Redha Moali

Founder, Dar al-Ma’mun, and owner, Fellah Hotel

I run an international center that promotes the cultural scene in town; we have lectures and performances throughout the year. A wonderful place for tea close to Djemaa el-Fna is Terrasse des Épices. The Bahia Palace is a real treasure that showcases Marrakshi-Andalusian architecture, popular in the late 19th century. In Guéliz, I go to Le Kechmara, owned by two Frenchmen, who often organize concerts. Locals gather there for lunch or cocktails.